


Truths

by bookxish



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, I love these two with my whole dang heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:48:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24724072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookxish/pseuds/bookxish
Summary: Lazuli knew it was possible, even highly probable, that she would fall in love.
Relationships: Lazuli Rocks/Caramelinda Meringue, Lazuli Rocks/Caramelinda Rocks, Lazuli/Caramelinda
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	Truths

Lazuli knew that it was possible, and actually highly probable that she would fall in love at some point in her life. This didn’t stop her from feeling a general sense of...disbelief around the topic. And unlike most things she felt a profound disbelief toward, she could not bring herself to probe the tides of the future for clues. She told herself it just didn’t catch her interest like tipping scales of peace, the fates of her family, both current and future could-be kin (she kept having dreams of a little licorice girl who kept changing her face as if flipping a coin; red, black, red, black….) the tending and protection of the magic of Candia, sailing weather for the next fortnight, the movement of the stars...Lazuli could easily lose herself treading the roads of time, trying to find landmarks or omens to orient the present to The Future (as there were many different futures, it felt important that she differentiate the future as a construct, and The Future as her experience). 

It was the loss of herself — well, it was more of a split really, as Lazuli knew she belonged to her family, her kingdom, her present and The Future, as much as she belonged to magic and the future and making the uncertain certain — often set her apart from the other members of her family. The facts as Lazuli saw them was that she was not, always, Lazuli Rocks. If our experience dictates our identity, then she, having experienced the potential lifetimes of many others outside of herself, could not be Lazuli Rocks alone. And while this was a burden she was willing to bear — she must bear — she could see at times in the eyes of her siblings an unfamiliarity toward her.

This, Lazuli believed, was her lot in life — until she met Caramelinda. 

Her and her siblings had all been called to the steps of the castle to greet the Lord of house Meringue and his daughter — a non-negotiable meeting, her mother had insisted as she all but dragged her from her library. The house Meringue was one of the last favorable relationships left to the house of Rocks, and as they headed into a war, it did not take an ability to peer into the future to see that the required presence of marriable children at this meeting meant one thing. 

Lazuli had acutely envied her siblings at different times in her life — Rococoa, for her fierce pursuit of that which she wanted, Citrina, for having a surety that Lazuli would never know, Sapphria, for always knowing what to say, and Amethar, for his light-heart and freedom — he would never know the burden of crown or country. It was Amethar she had found herself envying as the carriage approached the castle. Was she in his shoes, fifth in line rather than second, perhaps she would be free to stay in her library, on the archery fields, and tend to the magic in her country that flowed in her like her own life’s blood. She found herself drifting into could-bes as the carriage rolled to a stop, and Sapphria elbowed her just as the door opened, and first out stepped not the Lord Meringue, but a tall girl with curious and clever eyes

“Lord Werther of House Meringue, and his daughter, the Lady Caramelinda.” 

Lazuli had never felt so present and aware in her own body, mind, and soul (that last she would not be admitting to her holier than thou sister) than she had the day she met Caramelinda. She would always remember the exact date — the 12th day of BrightDusk — and time — just before the bulb hit its peak in the sky — the carriage door opened and Caramelinda stepped out. The Lady’s face tugged at a thread of fate that Lazuli had until now only a passing interest in — her own.

“I’ve heard many great things about the Rocks’ sisters.” Caramelinda spoke, and it was Sapphria (again, always knowing what to say) that stepped forward with a smile and looped her arm with the other girl’s (she looked Sapphria’s age — perhaps 17?). 

“Well, let’s hope we can live up to our glowing reputation. Come, I’ll show you to your rooms.”

Caramelinda knew that she would be wed to one of the Rocks children. 

That first day, once most of the rest of the castle had seen themselves to bed, Caramelinda let herself out of her room and wandered the castle. The Meringue estate was large, but it was nothing compared to the grandeur of Castle Candy. She knew why she and her father had come — and she wondered how long it would be until she would call these walls her home. She wandered through the halls, not particularly moving with a particular destination, but found herself at the beginning of a hall that ended in a large set of double doors. One of the doors was open slightly, spilling out warm light that every so often flashed a sparkling purple. She walked to it, looking inside. Lazuli Rocks stood with her back to the door, books floating around her, turning pages of their own accord. 

She had heard many great things about each of the Rocks’ sisters. The tales of Rococoa’s fierceness on the battlefield, Citrina’s holy work, and Sapphria’s beauty and grace. But the rumor’s around the second eldest princess extended beyond even the Stone Candy Mountains. The “alchemist” Lazuli, Candia’s secret weapon. The rumors stated that she could sense danger before it happened, that an arrow fired from the puckering bow would never miss it’s target, and that she could even bend the very elements to her will— 

“You needn’t stand in the hallway. I won’t bite.” 

Caramelinda straightened so fast, she had to catch the door to keep her balance, her cheeks flushing as she stepped inside. She could see now that they were standing together in a library, the books that had been floating around the princesses coming to rest softly on the table in front of the princess. The princess in question turned to face the girl, pushing her glasses up her nose, and looking somewhat uncomfortable. 

Caramelinda felt acutely aware of her nightclothes, and wished she had donned a robe of some kind, as despite the fire in the hearth, she felt goosebumps raise on her arms. 

“I’m so sorry, your higness.” She started, curtsying (at least it gave her an excuse to look at the floor.)

“I didn’t mean to disturb you, I was just showing myself around the castle — “

“As you should. It’ll be your castle too, if our parents have anything to say about it.” 

This made Caramelinda’s head snap up. No one she had ever met in Court, in any kingdom, had ever spoken so openly about what everyone was thinking. 

“Yes.” She said simply, and Lazuli nodded. 

The women stood in silence for a moment before speaking at the same time. 

“What have you — “

“Is it true that — “

Lazuli’s cheeks turned a deep purple when she blushed, and it occurred to Cara that this was the nicest conversation she’d had since leaving home. 

“Would you….like a cup of tea?” Lazuli asked, and moved around the table now piled with books to retrieve a small, steaming teapot near the fire. 

“I would love one.” 

This, unbeknownst to each, was the beginning of a nightly tradition. They met in the library each night after the castle had gone dark. Lazuli told Caramelinda about her magic, and the magic in Candia — she found herself saying things she had never said, about her visions and their frustrating crypticness, about her inability, sometimes, to remember that she lived in time, and wasn’t simply an arbiter, about her plans for the Spinning Star, and her worries for the years to come. Caramelinda was an attentive conversationalist, Lazuli found. She asked questions no one had ever asked her, about the technical nature of magic, of harnessing it and training it in herself. No one, not even Citrina, had been able to share in her arcane interest and practice. Each night they spent bent over books, talking and laughing in hushed tones, fingers daring to brush against each other’s for the excuse of turning a page or reaching for the same object, then finally daring to interlace, to pull closer, two truths came to the forefront of each woman’s mind:

Lazuli knew that it was possible, even highly probable, that she would fall in love. 

Caramelinda knew that she would be wed to one of the Rocks children.


End file.
